


Eye of the Storm

by orphan_account



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Disturbing Themes, Dubious Morality, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-07 09:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19206394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Minhyun bit his lip while his gaze followed the limping figure. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper when he reached a decision.“We have to do it.”





	1. Friday

“Daniel, can you come here for a second?” Seongwu’s sonorous voice could be heard through the entire club till the backdoors, where Daniel was busy moving boxes, unloading the truck with today’s supplies. Today was Friday, a busy night for all of them. Daniel stepped through the door and looked at Seongwu, who was arranging glasses at the counter. 

“What is it, hyung?” He grumbled, foot tapping impatiently while he waited for an answer. “I need to unload the rest of the boxes." 

“Are you alright? Is everything okay at home?” Seongwu asked, eyeing Daniel's face or more specifically the huge bruise that adorned the side of his face. 

“Everything’s fine. Is that all?” Daniel answered, lips pressed into a thin line. It was clear he wouldn't talk. He pretended nothing was out of ordinary. 

“Yes, you can return to your precious boxes,” Seongwu sighed throwing a glance at Sungwoon, who shook his head in return. 

It has been four months since Daniel started to work at the club. Four months since they met him. He seemed gruff and tended to always be alone. At first, they thought it was about being a newcomer in an already formed company. But he stayed as terse as before, cutting all attempts at bonding and friendly interactions. Naturally, they left him alone. 

They knew little about the man himself with him being so silent about his life. But they did notice some details Daniel simply couldn’t hide. It was the way he fed the stray cats behind the club when going for a smoke, the way he looked after girls that had one too many, the way he always helped fellow employees with errands even when he had his hands full with his own work. 

They came to love the quiet presence of the man. And of course, they became worried when Daniel started to show up with bruises that marred not only his face but his torso and hands, judging by the way he winced every time when hauling another box. 

They closed the club at the usual six in the morning after finishing their shifts. Daniel as always went straight home, bidding them quick goodbye. That was when Sungwoon decided to hold an impromptu meeting. It was six a.m. and there was only Seongwu, Jaehwan, Minhyun and Sungwoon. Sungwoon took out a bottle of whiskey, rolling his eyes at Minhyun’s disapproving gaze and poured everyone a glass. After taking a shot he slammed his glass on the table and asked what everyone had been thinking this past few months. 

“So what we gonna do about it?” he asked and took a long looked at everyone present. 

When confronted about the nature of his bruises, Daniel always stayed silent on the matter, telling them again and again that he was fine and that it was only his business. That left them reverted to observing and deducing trying to find a reason why their friend is hurt. 

After a month or so Seongwu made a suggestion about an abusive partner. 

“Maybe we need to call authorities. I did some research and found several organizations that help people who suffered from domestic violence." Seongwu said carefully. 

“And what are they gonna do? We already discussed it and it's not gonna do anything. He wouldn’t admit anything. We are helpless here." Sungwoon argued. 

“We need to do something. Maybe we could stalk that guy and beat the shit out of him.” Jaehwan shrugged his shoulders, taking another swing from his glass. His mouth twists unpleasantly from the bitter taste or the current situation they found themselves in. 

“What? That’s not a decision. And besides, we first need proof. You can’t just beat up a random guy. What if it’s not the reason?” Minhyun spoke for the first time. 

“What more proof do you want? Daniel is always talking to this guy in hushed tones and always quick as if he’s afraid.” Seongwu sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

There was a moment of silence as they each contemplated the choices left, mulling over the circumstances. 

“Actually, I think we could dig proof.“ Jaehwan noted. 

He gets various versions of "why you were holding out" and "why are saying it only now" in return, combined with disbelieving looks. 

“Because it’s illegal?” he stated like that was an obvious reason and they shouldn't have even asked why in the first place. 

“No, we can’t," Minhyun tried to reason, not liking the turn this conversation was taking and getting an angry huff from Sungwoon. 

“Let’s listen to him first,” Seongwu said, holding his hands up placating. 

“I know a genius tech guy," Jaehwan said. He takes another sip from his drink, before elaborated, "He can hack all kind of tech, get access to secure places, even plant a hidden spy camera. No question asked for a not sky-high price.” 

“What? No, we are not invading private life!” Minhyun sounded as appalled about the suggestion as he looked at the moment. 

“Well, you wanted proof.” 

“No. No, that’s not for a debate and that’s final.” Minhyun shook his head decisively and started to walk away indicating the end of this conversation. 

 

∞ ∞ ∞ 

 

They didn’t talk about this for some time. A week later Daniel showed at work with a split lip and almost swollen right eye, knuckles on his hands were bruised. There were faint bruises around his wrist that could have only one explanation. The manager took one look at him and sent him home right away not listening to a stubborn speech that he could work. 

Sungwoon sneered then viciously, fists clenched tightly. 

“Still gonna hide behind that goody-two-shoes facade of yours?” 

Minhyun bit his lip while his gaze followed the limping figure. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper when he reached a decision. 

“We have to do it.” 

 

∞ ∞ ∞ 

 

Three days later Jaehwan met a tall lanky guy with an extremely bored expression, looking no older than eighteen. After looking at the package Jaehwan brought, the guy wordlessly handed him a bunch of passwords and a short instruction. 

Jaehwan was sitting at the park, long after the guy left, asking himself what they got themselves into.


	2. Chapter 2

They decided to split the surveillance. They still needed to work their shifts. The first day was Jaehwan’s in a pair with Seongwu, the second day was Minhyun and Sungwoon’s if the feed would still be available. They didn’t talk about it more than necessary unsure and uncomfortable about the whole situation.

The camera was hidden in Daniel’s apartment. Though how the guy placed it there or how he knew where Daniel lived in the first place were beyond Jaehwan’s understanding. The links containing the recording feed would have access to it only for an hour. The feed itself will last for as long as the camera’s battery. Jaehwan gave it two days maximum.

Jaehwan pulled away from his laptop when he heard a knock on the door. 

“You set it up?” Seongwu asked as he arrived, taking his jacket off.

“Yes, it's already on.” Jaehwan nodded towards the laptop and went to fetch two bottles of beer from the fridge. There was no way he’d be able to get through this sober.

He handed one to Seongwu and took a gulp from his bottle. He settled back and set his eyes towards the screen.

The tiny apartment looked almost empty. There was only an old kitchen island, a small table near the ratty sofa and a simple bed with a wardrobe in the corner. Jaehwan couldn’t put his finger on what was bothering him the most. That until he noticed the complete lack of personal belongings. There was no photos or books, no little trinkets or any simple small things that usually was completely useless but made your life not so grey.

The faint sound of running water stopped abruptly. After a minute they saw Daniel who stepped out of a shower only in shorts drying his hair with a towel. His side is still marred with bruises. Some of it was already fading to a yellow and some fresher atop the fading one. Jaehwan heard Seongwu taking a sharp breath at the picture. He bit his lip as he shared the sentiment.

On the screen, Daniel put the towel down and shrugged a shirt on. He checked the time and went to the kitchen area.

There was a jangling sound of keys just as Daniel turned towards the front door. His usual serious face lit up with a wide boyish smile. He looked at least five years younger.

“I never knew his face could do that thing,” Jaehwan mumbled to himself. Seongwu could just nod in return feeling as stunned as Jaehwan.

They saw a man stepping into the view of a camera. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties. He had a slighter build and was shorter than Daniel. His dark brown hair was dishevelled like he had run his hands through them at least a hundred times today.

Dishevelled hair and rumpled suit aside there was bone-deep tiredness about him. But his face lit up the same as Daniel’s the moment their eye met. The genial smile made him look angelic.

“Huh. I didn't picture him like this.” Seongwu seemed perplexed.

“The appearance could be deceiving,” Jaehwan told him in return.

Daniel stepped closer enveloping the smaller man in a hug. He didn’t say anything just held him tight while the other man buried his head in his shoulder.

Daniel drew back first. He cupped the man’s face and bent down.

“Hi,” Daniel smiled, after breaking their welcome kiss.

The scene was routinely domestic, even sweet. But something was way off. It was the tension in Daniel shoulders, the wariness.

“How was your day?” Daniel asked while the other was taking off his suit. His voice was too strained for such a trivial question.

“It was fine.” The man hesitated for a second and then added quietly, “He wasn’t there today”.

And just like that some of the tension bled from Daniel’s posture as the man disappeared inside the shower.

It was quiet for a while, just a sound of running water and clattering of the dishes as Daniel made dinner. He would look sometimes towards the shower door worriedly, settling when the other man stepped out of the door.

Daniel turned the stove off and took a box from the kitchen cupboard. He walked towards the bed gesturing for the other man to sit.

“Hyung, let me see your leg.”

The small box turned out to be a medical kit. They watched as Daniel gently removed old gauze from the man's thigh, cleaned and redressed the wound. The laceration appeared to be almost healed but it was a nasty deep cut. Daniel's hands were gentle but the man kept wincing from time to time anyway. Daniel smoothed his hands up and down man’s thighs when he was done as if he hoped to will the pain away. His mouth twisted in anguish. He pressed his face into the other’s stomach wrapping his hands around his torso. They stayed like that for a while.

“Daniel, it’s fine. I’m fine.” The elder stroked his head while Daniel tried to collect himself.

“It will be,” he drew back with a shaky sigh. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

“Well, the feeling is mutual.” The other smiled. He traced the fading bruise under Daniel’s eye with delicate fingers. Bending down, he pressed a light kiss on the corner of the eye. “Now it’s all better”.

That made Daniel smile. He tugged his partner up and towards the kitchen with the words about their dinner getting cold.

 

∞ ∞ ∞

 

Jaehwan watched the screen for a while.

“What the fuck is going on here?” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

Seongwu thought he would be sick. They wanted to help their friend out, to get the truth. But the situation had proved to be more confusing and disturbing. He opened his mouth but closed it again without saying anything. Was there a point in talking when in the end they got more questions and none the answers? He got up and returned with two more bottles, gave one to Jaehwan and downed half of his in one go. They drank in silence for a while trying to make sense of what they just saw. They turned towards the screen simultaneously when they heard the man asked Daniel about his job.

“They keep asking unnecessary questions. About home. About you.” Daniel rolled his eyes with a huff.

“They are just worried. They seem like good people.” The man suggested.

“They are.” Daniel nodded briefly. “Oh, by the way, I’m taking Rooney and Peter with me.”

“Your stray cats?”

“You’ll like them.”

“I’m sure I will.”

When they were done with dishes, they settled on the couch, seemingly content with the first whatever shitty program was on on the old tv.

They looked like a normal couple, whose biggest problem at the moment was to choose what to cook for dinner or where to go on holidays. They looked like there weren’t secrets, unexplained wounds and fears. Seongwu glanced at Jaehwan only to see the same troubled expression and more questions reflecting in his eyes.

The picture on the screen was the same the time it took them to grab their own dinner.

 

∞ ∞ ∞

 

Seongwu was rummaging through things in Jaehwan’s room. His head was spinning from the long staring at the laptop screen. But he turned to a screen when he heard Jaehwan made a distressed sound. He was prepaid to see another injury revealed, but the pair was just making out. He snickered at Jaehwan who was looking anywhere else. Seongwu opened his mouth to tease him about being this shy about a kiss. But slammed it shut when the things got more heated by a minute.

“Shit! Fast-forward it or tuned it off. Just do something!” Seongwu shouted.

“Can’t! It’s a fucking live feed. It won’t turn on again if I switch it off.” Jaehwan was now covering his face with his hands.

Seongwu couldn’t think of anything better than to cover the laptop with a nearest available cloth. But before he had the chance, Daniel broke a kiss with a sudden pained hiss. Seongwu tensed and turned towards the screen again. He sat down heavily where he was standing when he heard a followed huff of amused laughter.

“I guess no vigorous physical activity for a while.” The man said with a chuckle. He pressed a hand to Daniel’s side, moving it down to sooth the pain. He tugged pouting Daniel towards the bed. “Come on. It was a long day.”

The feed went dark. The camera automatically switched to night mode with the light out.

“Now what?” Jaehwan asked into the silence. The needed to finish what they started and then tell others about what happened. And then they needed to come with a new plan.


End file.
